SMUD may hold special election to replace Brown appointee

The Sacramento Municipal Utility District’s board of directors may decide at its meeting Thursday whether to appoint a replacement or to hold special election to fill the seat on its board of Michael Picker.

Picker will have to resign his position on the SMUD board before taking the oath of office.

State law does not permit Picker to hold both the SMUD and CPUC positions. The PUC position requires Senate confirmation of Picker.

Picker was elected to the SMUD board in the Novemer 2012 election. He represents Ward 5, which includes downtown, midtown, North Sacramento, Natomas and the north county areas of Rio Linda and Elverta.

He was elected as vice president of the SMUD board in December. His current turn runs through December 2016.

Picker, 62, has also been a senior adviser for renewable energy in the governor’s office since 2009.

Picker previously served as deputy treasurer in the Office of the California State Treasurer from 1998 to 1999, and he served as chief of staff to Sacramento Mayor Joe Serna Jr. from 1992 to 1999. He was deputy assistant for toxic substance control for Brown’s governor’s office from 1981 to 1982. The position, which requires senate confirmation, pays annual compensation of $131,952. Picker is a Democrat.

Now 67 years old, SMUD is the nation’s sixth largest community-owned electric utility.